Rules for releasing inmates with severe health conditions to be amended

New amendments will be introduced to the procedures for conducting medical examinations of seriously ill prisoners and recommending their release from serving sentences due to health conditions.

Under the proposed changes, diagnoses of inmates receiving treatment at Specialized Hospital No. 23 for seriously ill prisoners must also be confirmed by the chief inspector-physicians of the Medical Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan.

Inmates suffering from mental disorders will undergo a thorough inpatient medical examination at hospitals or specialized units for individuals with mental health conditions.

Court hearings on the release of inmates on medical grounds will involve the participation of the ill inmate, a prosecutor, and in legally prescribed cases, a defense attorney, the inmate’s legal representative, the head of the facility submitting the petition, a responsible medical official from the hospital (or medical unit), and the inmate’s attending physician (in cases involving mental illness – a psychiatrist).

Court decisions regarding the release of an inmate due to illness may be appealed or challenged by the prosecutor, the inmate, their legal representative, or defense attorney in a higher court.

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